Record and controversies

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Environmental record

Arcuri returns campaign contributions

Arcuri returned $7,400 in campaign contributions from Robert J. “Skip” Anderson Jr. and Robert J. Anderson Jr., the owners of Oriska Insurance Co. Oriska's offices were raided by federal agents in connection to a insurance, wire and mail fraud investigation into the senior Anderson.[1]

Arcuri later returned two contributions totaling $4,000 from two paralegals who work for Oriska Insurance Co.[2]

Biography

Born in the Utica area, Arcuri graduated from the State University of Albany, then from New York Law School in 1984. He then entered private practice. In 1993, he was elected District Attorney of Oneida County, only the third Democrat ever elected to that position and the first in over 40 years. As DA, Arcuri helped to implement Oneida County’s Drug Court and Drug Treatment Alternative To Prison (D-TAP) programs and has prosecuted numerous violent criminals. In 1997, he received the the Mohawk Valley Person of the Year Award from the YWCA for his work in the area of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse. In 2003 he was elected President of the New York State District Attorney's Association. During his 12 years as Oneida County District Attorney, the Assistant District Attorney's in his office carried one of the highest case loads of any county in the State of New York and maintained a 90% conviction rate, one of the highest in the country.

Arcuri has also taught constitutional law as an adjunct professor at Utica College. [3]

2006 congressional elections

Arcuri announced his candidacy for the 24th Congressional district of New York a few weeks before Rep. Sherwood Boehlert announced that he would be retiring this year. Arcuri faced primary opposition from former Cortland Mayor Bruce Tytler, Utica attorney Leon Koziol, and epidemiologist Les Roberts. Prior to the primary, all three of Arcuri's opponents dropped out of the race, clearing the way for Arcuri. [4]

Arcuri hired Howard Wolfson to handle the media and John Zogby as his pollster. [5]

Endorsements

Arcuri was endorsed in his race by the following:

Syracuse Post-Standard

National and New York League of Conservation Voters

New York State AFL-CIO

Sierra Club

Communications Workers of America Local #1126

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Laborers Local 589

Tompkins-Cortland Building Trades Counci

United Auto Workers Region 9

Central New York Coalition of Manufacturer's Unions

Police Conference of New York

United Transportation Union

United Mine Workers

Public Employee Federation

Service Employee International Union,

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

New York State United Teachers

AFL-CIO Central New York Labor Council

Service Employees International Union #1199

Philip S. McDonald Police Benevolent Association of Rome

National Association of Social Workers

New York State Association of Electrical Workers, Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers Local Union 182

Negative ad

During the campaign, Arcuri was hit with a negative advertisement created by the National Republican Campaign Committee that accused Arcuri of calling a telephone sex line and paying for it with Oneida County funds. [8] The ad, narrated by a sultry female voice and showing Arcuri licking his lips in slow motion, was even denounced by Arcuri's opponent, Republican Raymond Meier. [9]

Arcuri explained that an aide accidentally dialed the line because the number had the same last seven digits as the state Department of Criminal Justice Services in Albany. [10]

Committees: House Committee on Rules, House Committee on Rules/Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure/Subcommittee on Economic Development Public Buildings and Emergency Management, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure/Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure/Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment